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July 18, 2009

G90: Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 2

Penny (5-8-6-1-3, 82) allowed six hits and five runs in the fourth and fifth innings and the Red Sox were sufficiently kept off balance by Rzepczynski, who was credited with his first major league victory.

Without one in the fourth, three straight singles broke a 1-1 tie and gave Toronto a one-run lead, then Bautista's double made it 4-1. (Penny bemoaned that pitch, a hanging curve, afterwards.) Scutaro began the fifth with a double and one out later, Lind homered to left for a 6-1 score.

Boston had taken a 1-0 lead on Jason Bay's double and Rocco Baldelli's single. Then they squandered a possible big inning. After Baldelli's hit, the Sox had men at first and third with no outs, but Jed Lowrie struck out looking, George Kottaras fouled to third and J.D. Drew grounded to second.

Kevin Youkilis doubled with one out in the third and was stranded at third. With runners at first and second and one out in the fifth, Yook struck out and David Ortiz grounded to second. Lowell began the ninth with a double -- and was stranded there.

Lowrie hit reliever Jesse Carlson's first pitch of the seventh for his first home run of the season.

Justin Masterson pitched two innings, retiring all six men he faced in the sixth and seventh, on 22 pitches.

I remember when Kaat "retired" from YES and he said he was going to get a Winnebago and travel everywhere with his wife. There were also the jokes that when he was doing regular broadcasts that he wouldn't go past the mississippi

Dice-K needs a mental adjustment and shoulder strengthening. Drew has been good. Not amazing but he's been fine. I understand the thought though. With the money they paid Drew he should have been much better than fine. That's the perception.

...I started writing a reply to the claim, then realised how dumb it was, and decided to just let it go.And Ish, I disagree. I think Drew has been worth about what he's getting paid, maybe a bit more, comparatively.

Well, I guess it all comes down to what you can get for Penny. I happen to think the Sox can get a fairly good player for him. With Daisuke supposedly back on Sept. 1, and Bowden and possibly Masterson as depth, I think the chance to make the rotation better and get a useful player for the future is worth the risk.

Whenever players are interviewed about the possibility of a gay teammate, they seem obsessed with the idea that another man might look at them in a sexual way. As if (a) that doesn't happen anyway, (b) that alone is such a horrible thing.

I never understand that. Why are so many hetero men so horrified at the idea that another man might scope them out? Why isn't it flattering, or just neutral, nothing?

Whenever players are interviewed about the possibility of a gay teammate, they seem obsessed with the idea that another man might look at them in a sexual way. As if (a) that doesn't happen anyway, (b) that alone is such a horrible thing.

I never understand that. Why are so many hetero men so horrified at the idea that another man might scope them out? Why isn't it flattering, or just neutral, nothing?

I think it's quite obvious that a guy teammate would be unable to control himself in the shower and grab you from behind, therefore traumatising you and making you gay too.

Especially in professional sports would it be understandable for someone to be gay, too. Wouldn't you think? But at the same time it seems like the most forbidden of places, along with the military, to be openly gay.

Just popping in to ask this one question: now that we've given up on the failed Lugo experiment, how bloody long will it take Tito to cut this Drew-lead-off shit? It's worked out worse than Pedroia leading off, and that was pretty bad.

My buddy (who is gay) refs football and basketball and is not open about it there, mainly because he doesn't want to alienate himself from the other people he works with. Basically, what Ofer posted is bang-on in terms of attitudes resonating in the locker room/showers among straight men. It's sad. He had a hard enough time coming out to me (and actually only did so as an accident!) because he thought I would react the same way and alienate myself from him.